Italian conceptual artist Gianfranco Baruchello, friend of Duchamp, dies at 99

Gianfranco Baruchello, the Italian conceptual artist known for his symbolic drawings and paintings, has died. Born in 1924, he was a friend and mentee of Marcel Duchamp, whom he met in Paris during the early 1960s. Baruchello's work evolved from simple mark-making in pieces like 'Exit from the Great Accolade' (1963) to more complex forms in the 1980s and '90s, such as 'Monogramma Paradise' (1985) and 'La Course, au pays d’harmonie' (1992). He cited John Cage as an inspiration, sharing a belief in the significance of minimal gestures. Self-taught after studying law, Baruchello traveled through major art centers before settling in an abandoned villa outside Rome in the 1970s, where he balanced art with farming. His works often featured opaque symbols and systems, testing the functionality of his artistic language.